Too Late
by Perceptions of a young dreamer
Summary: The last wedding he thought he would attend, the girl of his dreams getting married to Jason Todd (former Red X). And it is all his fault, she moved on and left him because of him. And he is too late. Raven, Robin, Red X. Set in the future.


_**Disclaimer- I don't own anything.**_

_**Jason is former thief, Red X (because I like the thought of Jason being the anti-hero). **_

_**The story is set in the future.**_

It was drizzling ever so lightly, raindrops rested like dew on blades of grass and new washed leaves. Light winds were blowing and the day gave a comforting vibe. The huge glass dome built by Cyborg kept the rain out but gave the view of the beautiful scenery around them.

A hero formerly known as Robin, now Nightwing was adjusting his bow tie and fidgeting in his seat. "Dude, stop fidgeting, it is becoming annoying." Beastboy groaned from sitting right next to him. Nightwing sighed and stilled.

His unmasked eyes held sadness; he looked ahead and saw a handsome man, with broad shoulders and lean body standing in a black tuxedo and an amethyst bow tie and a white boutonniere. His sea green eyes complemented his tanned features. His jet black hair with a lock of white was combed back and the white of his hair made him look a little dangerous, he was Nightwing's adoptive brother, Jason.

A former thief and newly minted hero, all thanks to the bride.

Jason looked happy, a smile never leaving his face but his eyes also held a little bit of nervousness. Nightwing looked around and saw his mentor, but right now their father, Bruce Wayne also sitting in the front row with a content smile on his face, clearly happy for his son.

A few other members of the Justice league were also in attendance with all the Titan community present. Beastboy noticed his sad gaze and sighed "I know how you feel…but you know what happened…"

Nightwing sighed and nodded. After a couple of minutes the wedding band started to play and the bridesmaids walked with their respective escorts. Jinx and Bee were the bridesmaids sporting a mid thigh violet dress and a beautiful flower piece in their hair.

Soon after the maid of honor, Starfire walked in wearing the same dress but with different colored flowers in her hair, she was beaming, clearly happy for her best friend. They all took their respective positions near the end of the alter.

Jason and Nightwing's eyes were glued to the entrance; Jason looked happy and ecstatic with a tinge on nervousness in his eyes while Nightwing's eyes held regret. After a couple of moments the bride entered and everyone got up.

Raven looked absolutely stunning; she was wearing a beautiful white mermaid gown, which trailed after her as she walked, the dress was sleeveless and was covering her neck. Above her chest and till the beginning of her neck there was white lace. There was an intricate design decorating the gown. She was wearing emerald ear rings and her hair was curled and pulled up in a voluminous bun. A lock of hair was stylishly pulled out, which was framing her fore head. And a veil was drawn over her mid night blue hair. Lastly her face had a light blush on her cheeks and some make up to enhance her beautiful amethyst eyes. She was smiling brightly and that just made her look more beautiful.

Everything about her anatomy was breath taking; she was holding a blue and green bouquet of flowers while her big brother, Cyborg escorted her down the aisle.

Nightwing saw her wide smile and remembered the time when that smile was directed towards him and him only. And now it was for another man and the worst part was that, that man was his brother.

He saw her giving Cyborg a kiss on his cheek and then accepting Jason's out stretched hand and stood parallel to him, in front of the priest.

Nightwing zoned out and remembered his times with the empath. _Them forming the team together in Jump City, him becoming her best friend, watching the sunrise together before everyone else woke up, sharing their fears with each other, their bond, saving her from Slade, learning the truth about her past, giving her hope, working with his nemesis at the end of the world, braving hell to find her and her hugging him in happiness_.

And over the years they had only grown closer and had shared many moments together. When one day-

_Robin had woken up early as usual and had headed to the roof. Every day without fail he and Raven had spent time together on the roof, talking about themselves or something that was disturbing them or sometimes they sat in comfortable silence just relishing each other's comforting presence. _

_Today as he opened the door, he was met with absence of the empath. This was weird; she always was the first one up and on the roof. He waited for a while but she didn't turn up, he panicked and headed towards her room, he knocked but was met with silence, and no other sound could be heard from the room. _

_His worry was increasing by the second, everyone else was still asleep. He tracked her communicator and found her on the edge of the Titan Island, sitting on a rock. He walked towards her and said calmly "Morning Rae." _

_Without turning around she said in her old monotone "Morning." He sat on a boulder near her and asked with concern "What's wrong Rae?"_

_She sighed sadly and said "What am I to you Richard?" this question caught him off guard and he looked at her with confusion and asked her "What does that mean? You are my best friend Raven." _

_She finally turned to look at him and said "Is that all I am to you after all this time and after all we have been through." _

"_What are you saying?" Raven took a deep breath and said "I like you Richard…a lot and more than a friend." _

_They were silent for a while, her confession hanging in the air between them. He looked at her and said "I can't believe it…and no matter what we cannot be in a relationship. It won't work out…this thing which we have between us is the only good thing in my life right now and I couldn't bear to lose this."_

"_You know what the sad part is." She said after a long pause, "That you won't even give it a chance." _

He snapped out of his thoughts when the priest turned to Jason and said "Your vows."

Jason took Raven's hands in his and said with love radiating his entire being "Raven, I look at you and think that how can someone as beautiful, smart and compassionate as you could ever love me. You make me want to be a better person. I lived my life thinking that nobody wanted me…and then a few years ago I met you, you found my heart and I let you in…and that's where you'll stay. I vow to honor and defend you and yours above all others. I promise to love you faithfully, forsaking all others, through the good times and the bad, regardless of where life takes us. I will share in your joys and sorrows and comfort you in times of need. All that I have is yours and from this moment on I give you my heart, my love as I give you myself for as long as we both shall live."

A tear fell down from her eyes, and her smile just grew wider. Nightwing grimaced and prepared himself to listen to the girl of his dreams vow to love his brother forever.

The priest turned towards the empath and said "Raven, your vows."

Raven smiled warmly at the man in front of her and said "Jason, you make me feel loved and wanted. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. Every day with you is an adventure and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you…I pledge to bring you solace in time of need, to be your comfort, your sanctuary and to be your family. I promise to cherish you and uphold your hopes and dreams, to honor and respect you, to laugh and cry with you. I vow to love you, unconditionally. I give you my heart, my love as I give you myself for as long as we both shall live."

Her vows brought a tear of happiness in Jason's eyes and sadness in Nightwing's.

The priest said to Jason "Do you Jason Todd take this woman, Raven Roth to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health till death do you apart?"

Jason smiled widely and said without hesitation "I do,"

The priest then turned to the empath and said "Do you Raven Roth take this man, Jason Todd to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health till death do you apart?"

This was it, the moment where Raven would be taken away from his forever. In a couple of second Nightwing flashbacked again, he thought back to the time after Raven's confession.

_Robin had started to date random fan girls and had changed his alias to Nightwing, to erase the thought of Raven from his mind. Not knowing the pain that he was causing her, he did everything he could to get his mind off the empath. _

_After a half a year Raven brought Jason with her to the tower,_ so that _the team could meet him. They had been dating for three months then and she looked happy and really in love. _

_The team except their fearless leader really liked him and he genuinely seemed in love with the dark beauty, Nightwing confronted Raven about it. She just shrugged and said simply "I moved on Richard…and maybe you were right we wouldn't have worked out anyway."_

_In that moment he realized what he had lost and said to her "I am sorry Rae, please give me a chance. We-"_

_Raven interrupted him and said "I tried to give it a chance, but you were too stubborn…and do you know how much you hurt me in these past few months when you started dating other girls…we are perhaps best at just remaining friends." _

_As he saw her walking away, he realized that in these past few months the time he spent getting her out of his mind; she had been doing the same. The only difference was that she had succeeded even with the pain he had caused her. _

_But he was now haunted by her confession and his feelings for her. In these past few months she had drawn away from him and towards another man._

"I do" Raven said lovingly and that snapped Nightwing out of his thoughts. Jason beamed at her. The priest smiled and said "Then by the power vested in me…I now pronounce you man and wife *he looked at Jason* you may kiss the bride."

Jason lifted her veil, showing her beautiful smiling face. He caressed her face lightly before giving her a loving kiss. Every one cheered and clapped, a few wiped the wedding tears away and hooted for the newlywed couple.

A tiny voice inside Nightwing's head said as he watched the couple embrace "Too late."

They pulled away with huge smiles on their faces and walked out of the hall hand in hand towards their reception party.

At the party, Raven was having her first dance with her new husband. They both were glowing and there was closeness about them, which wasn't there even when they were dating.

They stole kisses from each other in between, after their first dance. Raven was approached by her new father-in-law to dance with her while Jason danced with Selina, Bruce Wayne's long time partner.

Nightwing couldn't take this anymore, he chugged down the drink in his hand and went to the balcony silently, hoping to get some time away from the party.

He leaned by the railing, thinking that if he maybe would have realized his feelings sooner then he would have been the one getting married to her today. This would have been their party then and she would be _his_.

After a while the balcony doors opened, Richard's highly alert senses caught this and he turned around, hoping that it would be the dark beauty who sought him out.

He turned and saw the stoic expression of his adoptive father, Bruce. Richard sighed and turned around, looking at the city again. Bruce stepped beside him and said to the young hero "You made your choice Richard; you have to let her go."

Of course he would know about his feelings for the dark beauty, he was not called the world's greatest detective for nothing, realizing that there was no point in hiding he said "I can't help but think that if I had realized my feelings sooner then maybe-"

Bruce interrupted him and said "Don't plague your mind with ifs, what is done is done…you cannot change it. So be happy for the couple."

Nightwing turned around and looked at the party through the glass doors, Raven had just giggled over something Jason had said to her in her ear. She turned to look at her husband and gave him a kiss.

He surprised his mentor when she said "She is good for him…after everything that happened to him, he deserves someone as amazing as Raven." Bruce followed his gaze and smiled softly at the couple and said nodding "Yeah, she is. And she gets along with the family also. She did make him a better man."

With that they made their way back to the party, the couple was just about to cut their extravagant wedding cake. The cut the cake and fed each other a piece happily, later they all were seated for dinner.

Nightwing knew that he had to talk to Raven once at least in private. He found her near the bar talking happily to Jinx while Jason was talking to the boys. After a couple of minutes Jinx left and Nightwing took this chance to speak to the empath.

Raven looked at him and smiled politely, she offered him a glass of strawberry champagne and said "Hey Richard."

He took the glass from her and said "Rae, I need to ask you something."

Raven nodded and urged him to continue, he took a deep breath and said "Are you happy with him?" Raven was taken aback with this question; her empathetic abilities sensed his feelings. She sighed and said "I thought we were over this, it's been two years."

"Just answer it one last time." He pleaded.

"…I love him more than anything, he makes me happy. The happiest I have ever been." Richard tried to smile and said "Then that's all I want, you to be happy…even if it's not with me."

At that moment Jason came up to them and kissed Raven on the cheek lovingly, he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Richard was filled with sadness but he masked it well and smiled at the couple.

"_Mon amour_, it's time for us to leave." Jason said with a warm smile to Raven. She returned his smile and nodded.

Jason then noticed his adoptive brother standing in front him and said "Hey Grayson, having fun?"

Nightwing just forced a smile at his brother. Raven excused herself and went away, the two brothers watched her leave, both filled with love for the young lady. The difference being that one was happy while the other was regretful.

"She is an amazing lady Jason…keep her happy." Nightwing said seriously to the man in front of him.

Jason looked at Nightwing and studied him carefully; he knew everything that happened between him and Raven. He turned to the hero and said seriously "I promise that I will keep her happy."

Nightwing nodded, after a few more minutes Raven emerged she was wearing a white cocktail dress. Jason smiled and walked up to her, he kissed her temple and whispered to his wife "Let's get out of here…I am sick of sharing you with others." And he kissed her temple.

With that the couple headed outside, towards their black limousine. Raven's arm was interlaced with Jason's as they walked, his eyes watching her with love and happiness. Jason opened the car door for her, before getting in Raven tossed her bouquet backwards.

Much to everyone's amusement Wally caught the bouquet, he looked nervous while his girlfriend, Jinx looked happy. They all laughed a little, Raven just waved at her friends and got in the car with her husband.

They all cheered and wished them.

"Have the nice moon of the honey friends." Starfire shouted. "Safe travels." Bruce waved. "Have fun." Cyborg and Beastboy cheered.

Only Nightwing was silent, his mind chanting only one thing as he watched the girl of his dreams drive off with another man, the man she loves towards their future. _You are too late_.


End file.
